Ballad of the Wind Rigger

In 2050 dozens of energy islands exist around the world to power our societies with hundreds of offshore wind turbines, each about three times the height of the Statue of Liberty.  In this episode, we travel alongside offshore technician Sofia Rojas to the North Sea energy island, which is nearly the size of 20 football pitches. It is one of the oldest.  Sofia must investigate and fix an anomaly detected through the island's AI interface known as SAILOR. 

The North Sea energy island creates renewable energy from its massive wind turbines and mines CO2 directly from the atmosphere through direct air capture units. The island produces low-carbon fuels that power energy-intensive vessels like cargo ships, airplanes, and space shuttles  The project was a mission to Mars for the energy system powering over 10 million European homes and reducing carbon emissions substantially.  

We’ll hear from Jacob Østergaard, a professor at Denmark Technical University and BCG’s Mogens Holm about the challenges in building these islands while protecting the environment; storing surplus energy, transporting hydrogen safely, and protecting against  cyberattacks. 

Climate Vision 2050 is a podcast from BCG, a global consulting firm committed to climate and sustainability action.  Join us every episode as we explore how the world radically reduced carbon emissions and stepped back from the brink of climate catastrophe.